The invention relates to a pocket dictation machine which is held in one hand during operation in its mode for recording dictations and which is constructed to store and reproduce the speech signals corresponding to the dictations and appearing in a time sequence, which machine comprises a housing and a holder compartment, which is enclosed by the housing and is adapted to receive a storage medium for storing the speech signals in correlation with their time sequence, and is constructed to carry out a forward function and a reverse function, in which forward function the speech signals can be stored in the storage medium in correlation with their time sequence starting from a storage starting position, or speech signals previously stored in the storage medium in correlation with their time sequence can be read from the storage medium in correlation with their original time sequence, and in which reverse function it is possible to return to the storage starting position after storage or read-out in correlation with the original time sequence has been effected in a direction away from said storage starting position, which machine comprises at least one control member which can be switched by hand between at least two active positions, including one forward-active position and one reverse-active position, in which machine in its dictation-recording mode the forward function can be started by setting the relevant control member by hand to its forward-active position and the reverse function can be started by setting the relevant control member by hand to its reverse-active position.
Pocket dictation machines of the type defined in the opening paragraph have been known for a long time in a wide variety. For example, such a pocket dictation machine for magnetic tapes accommodated in cassettes and used for storing the speech signals corresponding to the dictations has been put on the market by the assignee under the type number LFH 0195. The oldest dictation machine of this type was already put on the market by the assignee in the year 1967.
These known pocket dictation machines are constructed only for recording dictations and the appropriate functions during which the successive speech signals are recorded and reproduced can be switched on by means of control members provided on these pocket dictation machines. The control members are constructed to be actuated while the pocket dictation machine is held in the hand. Therefore, such pocket dictation machines are neither intended nor suited for the transcription of dictations, i.e. for the production of type-written documents to take down the contents of the dictation, because the hands and fingers are then needed to operate a typewriter keyboard or a corresponding alphanumeric keyboard in order to transcribe the dictations and cannot be used for switching on the functions of a pocket dictation machine by hand. Therefore, the transcription of dictations recorded by means of a such pocket dictation machines, i.e. typing out of the dictation, is always effected by means of a separate machine, i.e. a transcription machine into which the storage medium storing the speech signals corresponding to the recorded dictations is loaded after its removal from such a known pocket dictation machine. Thus, for transcribing dictations recorded with such a known pocket dictation machine the storage medium should first be removed from the pocket dictation machine and, secondly, a separate transcription machine is needed into which this storage medium is inserted in order to transcribe the dictations.
Such transcription machines for magnetic tapes accommodated in cassettes for the storage of the speech signals corresponding to the dictations have also been known for a long time. Such a transcription machine, for example, has been put on the market by the assignee under the type number LFH 0304. Such transcription machines are so-called desk-top machines whose functions during transcription, which is functionally different from the operation during dictation recording, are switched on by remote control with the aid of a foot switch. With such transcription machines it is not possible to record dictations.